Phenolic acids and flavonoids of fig fruit (Ficus carica L.) in the northern Mediterranean region Robert Veberic * , Mateja Colaric, Franci Stampar University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Agronomy Department, Chair for Fruit Growing, Jamnikarjeva 101, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia Received 28 December 2006; received in revised form 11 March 2007; accepted 28 May 2007 Abstract Phenolics are an important constituent of fruit quality because of their contribution to the taste, colour and nutritional properties of fruit. We have tried to evaluate the phenolic profile of fig fruit, since only limited information on that topic is available in the literature. With the HPLC-PDA system, we have identified the following phenolics: gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, syringic acid, (+)-catechin, (À)- epicatechin and rutin. Phenolics were extracted from three different fig cultivars that are commonly grown in Slovenia’s coastal region. These cultivars were ‘S ˇ kofjotka’ (‘Zuccherina’) a white type fruit, ‘C ˇ rna petrovka’ and ‘Miljska figa’, both dark type fruit. The fruit from the first and the second crop were collected and compared. In general, fruit from the second crop contained higher values of phenolics than fruit from the first crop. The analysed phenolics present at the highest content were rutin (up to 28.7 mg per 100 g FW), followed by (+)-catechin (up to 4.03 mg per 100 g FW), chlorogenic acid (up to 1.71 mg per 100 g FW), (À)-epicatechin (up to 0.97 mg per 100 g FW), gallic acid (up to 0.38 mg per 100 g FW) and, finally, syringic acid (up to 0.10 mg per 100 g FW). Both cultivars with dark fruit exhibited a higher total level of analysed phenolics, in comparison to the white fruit cultivar ‘S ˇ kofjotka’. The amounts measured are comparable to those of other fruits grown in this region. The amounts of rutin in particular are quite high and comparable to apples, for example. As a typical, seasonal fresh fruit, figs can be an important constituent of the regional diet. Ó 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Fig; Phenolics; Seasonal changes; HPLC 1. Introduction Figs (Ficus carica L.) are a widespread species com- monly grown, especially in warm, dry climates. The ideal condition for intensive cultivation of figs is a semi-arid cli- mate with irrigation. The world production of figs is about one million tons, and it is mostly concentrated in the Med- iterranean. In this area, figs have been grown for centuries and are the most frequently mentioned fruit in the Bible (Slavin, 2006). In the northern Mediterranean region, fig trees produce one or two crops per year, depending on the cultivar. The first crop is grown from flowers that were initiated in the previous year, and the fruit ripen at the beginning of sum- mer. The second crop (the main one) is produced from flowers that emerge on the current season’s shoots, and the fruit ripen in late summer. Therefore, the development of both crops is marked by different weather conditions. Fruits from the two crops can also differ in size and shape (Lodhi, Bradley, & Crane, 1969). Figs are widely consumed fresh, either peeled or not. Fresh fruits naturally have a short, post-harvest life of 7– 10 days, but with a combination of cooler conditions and a CO 2 -enriched atmosphere, the fruit can be stored for up to 2–4 weeks (Sozzi, Abrajan-Villasenor, Trinchero, & Fraschina, 2005). Figs are also very popular as dried fruit, since drying prolongs their storability. As a seasonal food, figs represent an important constit- uent of the Mediterranean diet (Solomon et al., 2006). This 0308-8146/$ - see front matter Ó 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2007.05.061 * Corresponding author. Tel.: +386 1 423 11 61; fax: +386 1 423 10 88. E-mail address: robert.veberic@bf.uni-lj.si (R. Veberic). www.elsevier.com/locate/foodchem Food Chemistry 106 (2008) 153–157 Food Chemistry